Nigel Farage has been recorded telling UK Independence Party (Ukip) supporters that the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) should transition to an insurance-based system operated by private companies. The footage, from a September 2012 event on his Common Sense tour in East Sussex, shows Farage arguing that the marketplace could deliver better value for money in healthcare spending.
In the recording, Farage stated: “I think we are going to have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare. Frankly, I would feel more comfortable that my money would return value if I was able to do that through the market place of an insurance company than just us trustingly giving £100bn a year to central government.” He also noted that NHS spending had doubled over 15 years without a proportionate return.
The comments contradict Ukip's current stance that it opposes NHS privatisation. A party spokesman said policy on the NHS had “developed” since 2012, adding: “That was then and this is now. It doesn’t stand up to say that’s still his view.” The spokesman highlighted Ukip's opposition to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which critics say could allow US private health firms into the NHS.
Labour seized on the remarks, with shadow health secretary Andy Burnham stating: “It is now plain for all to see that a vote for Ukip is a vote for the privatisation of the NHS.” The NHS has become a key battleground in by-elections, with Ukip campaigning on a platform of protecting the health service in contests such as Rochester & Strood.
Other footage from the tour showed Farage proposing a reduced BBC licence fee of £40-50 and suggesting benefit claimants could be made to clean up litter after six months. He also expressed concerns about employee rights and maternity leave burdens on small firms.
